Roads - articles and discussion

[ozbob]

Media Release
Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy and Water Supply
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Townsville Ring Road commences major construction

CONSTRUCTION is now underway on the long awaited and final section of the Townsville Ring Road between Shaw Road and Mount Low.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said the project demonstrates the Australian Government's commitment to the Bruce Highway.

"The Townsville Ring Road is another example of how the Australian Government is helping fix major road infrastructure in north Queensland," Mr Truss said.

"The Australian Government is providing $6.7 billion over 10 years to improve the Bruce Highway, including major upgrades, flood immunity measures, new overtaking lanes, rest areas and targeted safety improvements along its entire length."

Speaking at the official sod-turning today, Federal Member for Herbert Ewen Jones said the latest section of the Townsville Ring Road will address capacity limitations and accident risks on Shaw Road.

"This stage will consist of an 11.5 kilometre section crossing the Bohle Plains, which will be built to motorway standard, with speed limits of 100 kilometres an hour," Mr Jones said.

"Once completed, the Townsville Ring Road will reduce congestion on local roads while significantly improving the movement of freight traffic to and from the Port of Townsville."

Queensland Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports Mark Bailey said the new section will include 10 kilometres of dual carriageway highway and new grade separated interchanges.

"With a new connection to the Bruce Highway near the Mount Low Parkway, the Townsville Ring Road will extend all the way from the Douglas Arterial to Mount Low. Traffic will be able to bypass busy intersections, such as the Bruce Highway-Shaw Road junction," Mr Bailey said.

"As an added bonus, work on the final section of the ring road will create 290 direct jobs for workers at a time when jobs and job security are more important than ever."

The Australian Government is providing $160 million towards construction of the ring road, with the Queensland Government providing the remaining $40 million. Construction is expected to be completed in 2017.

[hU0N]

<sigh>

While Legacy Way is expected to have less patronage than the Clem7 tunnel, Cr Quirk said the project was a "100-year piece of infrastructure".

No, Cr Quirk, it is not a "100 year piece of infrastructure".  Thanks to induced demand it is likely to not even be a 10 year piece of infrastructure before we're spending up big on the next set of road upgrades.

For a good example of genuinely 100 year infrastructure, look no further than the original double track railway tunnels from Roma St through Central to the valley.  Opened in August 1889, those tunnels served for 107 years, until the inner city quadruplication supplemented them in 1996.  In later years, particularly after the 1979 electrification, they carried far more people per day than the Legacy Way ever will.

THAT is what 100 year infrastructure looks like.  We appear not to have the wit to build such things in Brisbane any more.

An interesting comment on diminishing returns that the ICRCS predicted that the city tunnels would be at capacity sometime between 2016 and 2026 (IIRC).  107 years from the first pair, 30 years from the second.  Not unsurprising, but interesting.

[SurfRail]

I think most of the assumptions underpinning ICRCS are no longer accurate - patronage for one!

[ozbob]

Twitter

Dave Andrews ‏@chopperdaveqld 18 minutes ago

Big delays in from the west this morning. Ippy from Wacol & Centenary from Darra #bnetraffic #GoogleMaps #delays

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane traffic getting worse ... but it's not all bad news

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane traffic increasing, report shows

^ no surprise ... 

[ozbob]

Discussion on 4BC radio Mornings with Patrick Condren re roads congestion, congestion taxes and other non-solutions ..

This tweet was read out .. 

===============

Twitter

Robert Dow @Robert_Dow  ·  20m

. @NewsTalk4BC Enlightened jurisdictions have congestion taxes, Brisbane is far from enlightened ... look at the bus network shambles ..

Followed this tweet ..

================

Twitter

Robert Dow @Robert_Dow  ·  27m

. @NewsTalk4BC G'day! Pushing folks off Public Trans - failed fare structure, poor network does not help hey? More roads only not the answer

[Stillwater]

A congestion tax could be used to control the traffic flow.  It could operate 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm.  Travel by car to the city outside those hours and its free.  Some peak-period traffic would be displaced to before 7am and after 9am, same in the afternoon.  Many early morning service deliveries are made before 7am.  If people want to avoid the tax, they could catch public transport, its upgrade funded from the congestion tax revenue.

[techblitz]

^ good idea on paper as it would likely increase usage of our toll tunnels and free up arterial congestion.....while also increasing public transport usage....evens everythng out quite a bit....politically though...a bad idea.....it should be put to a statewide poll first.....get the discussion happening to try and sway the politicians into supporting it....

[ozbob]

A congestion tax would be recovered easily by motorists in termsof less fuel wasted and time.

Chance of happening in Brisbane are slim as BCC does not support at present.  That could change as the road meltdown gets worse.

Another broader consideration is that as electric vehicles become more numerous fuel excise revenue will drop.  I have little doubt that registration charges and even the fuel excise will be displaced so  costs will be  based on kilometres travelled rather than a flat fee or levy.

[ozbob]

From  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2034.msg154268#msg154268

Brisbane City Council has released a report;
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-traffic-increasing-report-shows-20150317-1m1kgq.html

No mention of Beaudesert Rd or other key outer roads in that article, but surely this is more ammunition to get the CRR going to make rail more reliable and help gets cars off roads. Look at what happened the other day with the Bowen Hills OHW incident.

The actual report; http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/congestion_reduction_unit_-_key_corridors_performance_report_-_jul_-_dec_2014_-_collateral_-_report_-_final_-_mar_2015.pdf

[techblitz]

intersting how beaudesert road is omitted..has a few problem intersections where traffic has increased sizeably over last 12 months.....granard,illaweena,compton and honeysuckle way probably the worst...

correct ozbob a BCC congestion tax has about as much chance as bus lanes going in overnight with current traffic numbers....zilch......but the reality is that if the traffic is somehow reduced then it paves a better position to put the bus lanes in....

[v6hilux]

More ammunition for the CRR to be built to make rail a more reliable option.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane's toll tunnels fail to cut rising travel times: RACQ

^ Seriously, did anyone really expect any other outcome? 

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Congestion forcing Brisbane commuters from their cars

FRUSTRATED drivers are being forced to ditch their cars and jump on trains because they can't trust Brisbane's roads to get them to work on time.

A Brisbane City Council congestion report this week revealed motorists face 15 minutes more time sitting in traffic each week as peak hour continues to slow ...

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Motorists on the Bruce Highway crawl to work as slow as 1km/h from Brisbane's northern suburbs

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Schrinner slams RACQ's traffic comments

 

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Dahl ‏@Pennycopter now

Shocker! Centenary Hwy inbound crawling from Darra to the Jindalee #bnetraffic

[ozbob]

^ nice shot of the line to Springfield Central as well. 

[pandmaster]

Couriermail --> Congestion forcing Brisbane commuters from their cars

FRUSTRATED drivers are being forced to ditch their cars and jump on trains because they can't trust Brisbane's roads to get them to work on time.

A Brisbane City Council congestion report this week revealed motorists face 15 minutes more time sitting in traffic each week as peak hour continues to slow ...

I suppose we need more roads to fix this? Maybe convert the Doomben line into a motorway? 

[pandmaster]

Brisbanetimes --> Schrinner slams RACQ's traffic comments

 

Schrinner: "Pfft... what would the RACQ know. They probably did some surveys and collected evidence. I know anecdotally that they are wrong!"
Why is it that basically any report is immediately rejected by our leaders? They are meant to guide policy yet our lollies only seem to be able to interpret them as a personal attack.

At least the tolls are outrageous, somewhat reducing the issues related to induced demand. If Legacy Way does not have variable tolls then that would be a new low for BCC. What is the point of charging $5 for a toll at 1AM? The benefit is minimal at that time so the price should reflect that.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Nightmare traffic jams to continue on Brisbane roads unless state and council use same traffic management

[bcasey]

BCC uses SCATS (Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System): http://www.scats.com.au/. It was developed in the 1970's by the predecessors of RMS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Coordinated_Adaptive_Traffic_System), and is used in many cities around the world, and along with SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique, developed in the UK), is the most popular adaptive traffic control system currently in use.

TMR uses STREAMS: https://www.transmax.com.au/cms/streams-intelligent-transport-system. It is developed by Transmax, which was privatised from DMR. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STREAMS_Integrated_Intelligent_Transport_System)

From what I understand, SCATS is better suited for arterial network traffic control, like what you have in the CBD and the suburbs, while STREAMS is better suited for motorway control, such as ramp metering, variable speed control, etc, although I think they are capable of controlling the other systems as well.

All of these systems rely primarily on loop detectors, which is a relatively old technology. I think traffic control will change significantly once V2V (Vehicle To Vehicle) and V2I (Vehicle to Infrastructure) communication becomes ubiquitous within the next decade or so, since you will be able to have a more complete picture of the real-time status of traffic, rather than estimating it from cars passing over the loops.

[#Metro]

BCC uses SCATS

I hear BCC and TMR are moving to one system - CRAPS

CRAPS
Congestion Reduction of Automobiles in Public Settings

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Legacy Way named 2015 top project by infrastructure group

Brisbane's Legacy Way has been named Australia's most outstanding new infrastructure project of 2015 by a major construction lobby group.

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia named the $1.5 billion tunnel as it's 2015 "project of the year" on Wednesday night, with the Gold Coast's Light Rail and Queensland's Australia Pacific LNG project listed as finalists.

The other finalist in the category was Sydney's 11.4 kilometre South West Rail Link ...

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Dahl ‏@Pennycopter 9 minutes ago

Yikes! Delays on the Bruce Hwy southbound behind a 4 car smash at Deception Bay #bnetraffic @TheTodayShow

[ozbob]

Twitter

Penny Dahl ‏@Pennycopter 48 seconds ago

Delays on the Gateway Mwy northbound from the M1 to Belmont after an earlier prang #bnetraffic

[ozbob]

^ oh. dear.  What a lovely mess they have created ...   

[ozbob]

Media Release
Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy and Water Supply
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Green light for Coomera Interchange upgrade

JOINT funding from the Australian and Queensland Governments has been secured for the upgrade of the Coomera Interchange (Exit 54) on the Pacific Motorway, which will ensure a new commercial and retail precinct goes ahead at Coomera Town Centre.

The Queensland Government is providing funding of $47.4 million, together with a $10 million commitment from Australian Government and a $17.3 million contribution from the developers of the Coomera Town Centre.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said construction on Stage 2 of the interchange upgrade will begin later this year.

"The announcement today of the funding partnership between the federal and state governments, along with the developers of the Coomera Town Centre, will see work commence on reducing congestion through this busy interchange," Mr Truss said.

"Final design work is expected to be completed in the coming months, with construction to start soon after. All going to plan, the upgrade will be completed in late 2016, in time for the opening of the new Coomera Town Centre."

Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, and Minister for Trade, Jackie Trad, said the new exit would provide direct vehicle access to the new Coomera Town Centre where investment worth an estimated $1 billion is in the pipeline, including a new Westfield Shopping Centre.

"The Coomera Town Centre is an exciting development for the Gold Coast and the Queensland Government's contribution to the new M1 exit will help in the development of a dynamic commercial and retail precinct.

"This major precinct will stimulate economic growth in the region and create jobs for local workers at a time when jobs and job security are more important than ever.

Federal Member for Forde Bert van Manen said the project would improve traffic flow and also deliver a number of benefits to the local community.

"This upgrade will provide the road infrastructure needed to enable the successful development of the Coomera Town Centre, a welcome boost for jobs and community life in the local area.

"This is the single biggest issue for local residents and businesses alike and I am very pleased to see this project now progressing."

The master plan for the Coomera Town Centre, covering 680 hectares, was declared by the former Labor Government in December 2009.

The Town Centre area, based around the Coomera Railway Station and incorporating the Dreamworld theme park, is projected to ultimately provide around 25,000 new dwellings, housing an extra 50,000 people.

The proposed Westfield Shopping Centre at Coomera has the potential to generate more than 1,200 jobs a year over a two-year development period and around 3,300 direct and indirect jobs a year after that.

Main Roads and Road Safety Minister Mark Bailey said the new exit would improve traffic flow and ease congestion at what is already a very busy interchange.

"As an added bonus for motorists and commuters, the new interchange will incorporate a new bridge to the north of the existing bridge over the Pacific Motorway to ease congestion for east bound traffic."

Mr Bailey said roundabouts would be upgraded with signalised intersections to reduce queuing on the motorway ramps and a northbound exit loop ramp would provide an easier connection to Foxwell road (east). The southbound off-ramp would be realigned to intersect with the Old Pacific Highway service road.

"Depending on no major weather events, the road upgrade should be completed by the end of 2016, in time for Westfield's planned opening of its new Coomera Town Centre development," he said.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Bris drivers spend 3 days a year stuck in traffic: study

[ozbob]

Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy and Water Supply
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Cooroy to Curra - Section C tender launched

The Bruce Highway has received a major boost with tenders now being sought for an early works package as part of the $624 million Cooroy to Curra – Section C project, south of Gympie.

At the Kybong Hall, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the delivery of jobs, productivity gains and economic growth are central to the Commonwealth Government's unprecedented $50 billion infrastructure investment.

"The Bruce Highway is Queensland's transport lifeline. It is the gateway to northern Australia. It's one of the most important components of our national highway system, facilitating the movement of people and goods across the state to domestic and overseas markets," Mr Abbott said.

"This upgrade is essential for Queensland and for Australia to remain prosperous and meet the challenges and opportunities of the future. We said we would build the roads of the 21st century and that means investing in critical road infrastructure like the Bruce Highway."

"The start of the tender process for the early works package on this project is a direct reflection of the Commonwealth Government's jobs and infrastructure plan, fulfilling a key election commitment to improve the Cooroy to Curra stretch of the highway," Mr Abbott said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said upgrading the Bruce Highway is a major pillar of the Australian Government's infrastructure investment plan – with $6.7 billion committed towards upgrades.

"When completed, the Cooroy to Curra – Section C will deliver a safer, less congested section of highway, with a greatly improved capacity to move freight more efficiently along the coast," Mr Truss said.

"This will support major industries in the region, including timber, dairying and local agriculture, supporting not only Queensland's economy but the national economy more broadly.

"This early works package will upgrade the highway between Woondum Road and the Six Mile Creek rest area and will be delivered in advance of further major works to come.

"These early works involve widening the existing highway and building a raised median to separate opposing directions of traffic. Dedicated right and left-turn lanes will be built at the Keefton Road and Six Mile Creek rest area intersections to provide protection for turning vehicles.

"Protected entry lanes for north and southbound traffic will also improve access to the Gold Nugget service station, where several crashes have occurred in recent years."

Queensland Minister for Main Roads and Road Safety Mark Bailey said upgrading the Bruce Highway would deliver safer passage for the local community, freight operators and all road users.

"This section of the Bruce Highway has seen a number of tragic accidents in recent years. Nothing is more important than the safety of the men, women and children who travel on the state's vast network and these works, when completed, will significantly enhance safety along this busy stretch of the Bruce.

"As an added bonus, more than 786 direct jobs will be provided for local workers over the life of the Section C project, at a time when jobs and job security are more important than ever," Mr Bailey said.

Queensland Member for Gympie Tony Perrett said the early works would deliver immediate safety improvements, benefitting the local community.

"The Cooroy to Curra – Section C project will see the Bruce Highway realigned and duplicated between the Traveston Interchange and the proposed Woondum Interchange north of Woondum Road, ," Mr Perrett said.

"I would encourage local businesses consider tendering for the early works package, ensuring the community benefits from the job creation this project will bring."

Detailed design for the remainder of the Cooroy to Curra – Section C project is currently underway, with major works expected to start in early 2016.

Section C project works are being jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments, with $499.4 million and $124.9 million contributed respectively.

[ozbob]

Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy and Water Supply
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Safety works at Glenorchy driving a safer Bruce Highway

SAFER driving conditions and travel times being cut are the priority for new works underway this week on the $5.2 million Glenorchy Straight upgrade on the Bruce Highway as part of the broader pavement widening project between Caboolture and St Lawrence.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said the upgrade will help reduce the danger of head-on crashes by providing increased separation between on-coming vehicles.

The successful tenderer for the Glenorchy Straight upgrade is BMD Constructions.

"A better, safer and more reliable Bruce Highway is a must and the Australian Government is getting on with the job through our unprecedented $6.7 billion investment and works program to make it a reality."

"The Australian Government is contributing over $215 million for pavement widening along the Bruce Highway – over $86 million on the Caboolture to St Lawrence Pavement Widening project, which is creating local jobs," Mr Truss said.

Member for Maryborough, Bruce Saunders, representing Queensland Minister for Main Roads and Road Safety Mark Bailey at the sod-turning event, said the road pavement would be widened to 11 metres to allow for a wide centre median, along with intersection upgrades at Old Gympie Road and 7 Mile Road, south of Maryborough.

"Audible, tactile line markings will be installed along the one metre-wide painted median to alert drivers if they veer too close to the centre of the road. Protected right-turning lanes will be installed on Old Gympie Road and Seven Mile Road to enhance safety for motorists."

"As an added bonus, these works will provide 16 direct jobs for workers at a time when jobs and job security are more important than ever." 

The Australian Government is providing $4.1 million towards the Glenorchy Straight works, with the Queensland Government contributing $1.1 million.

Overall, the Australian Government's Infrastructure Investment Programme has committed a record $13.4 billion to build and improve Queensland's infrastructure, including $6.7 billion for projects on the Bruce Highway.

Further information on Bruce Highway upgrades can be found at http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/.

[Arnz]

Good to see Scott hasn't changed in this latest news article release. Still in his "Blame Labor for everything" mode.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-lnp-blames-labor-for-easter-2015-road-deaths-20150410-1micfi.html

The LNP has blamed the Labor government for the state's horrendous Easter road toll.

Eight people died in five crashes across the four-day Easter long weekend in Queensland, the worst of any state.

Transport minister turned shadow transport minister Scott Emerson blamed Labor for "dropping the ball on road safety".

The government has convened a road safety forum on Friday, with more than 50 delegates gathered to talk about how the issue of deaths on the state's roads can be tackled and minimised.

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But Mr Emerson, while saying "the reality is the road toll and road safety is beyond politics", levelled the blame for the tragic Easter weekend at the government.

"Road safety is an incredibly important issue for Queensland," he said.

"I am very proud that under the LNP, we put in a record road safety action plan that delivered a record low road toll.  Unfortunately, what we have seen with this government, in the lead up to Easter, was them dropping the ball on road safety; they've been more focussed on their internal issues.

"That is not good enough. Road safety should be beyond politics, it should be something we are constantly vigilant about.

"We have seen comments from the RACQ and others that the advertising just wasn't there. Advertising is incredibly important in terms of emphasising road safety. It just wasn't there.

Mr Emerson said he would not pre-judge the outcome of the government's road safety forum, but said Labor would do well to follow the plan the LNP created.

"Let's see what comes out of it," he said, before going on to deliver the same lines again and again.

"We knew what the issues were, it's about advertising, it is about infrastructure, it's about driver awareness, these things are a multi faceted approach that delivered a record low road toll for us last year.

"Now it is time for them to get their act together, rather than all this chaos and confusion and internal machinations, get on and run this state properly."

[ozbob]

The Conversation --> Do more roads really mean less congestion for commuters?

[ozbob]

Media Release
Deputy Premier, Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Jackie Trad

Thursday, 23 April 2015

Government green lights Beaudesert bypass

Beaudesert is set to flourish, with the Queensland Government today giving the green light for construction of a bypass that will support thousands of jobs in the area and see road safety vastly improved.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Jackie Trad said the Queensland Government would work closely with the Scenic Rim Regional Council to deliver the $27.5 million Beaudesert Town Centre Bypass.

"We've seen a dramatic increase in demand for road freight in the area over the last few years, with heavy vehicles travelling through the township from Bromelton and south of Beaudesert, negatively impacting on local traffic.

"This vital piece of road infrastructure will significantly reduce traffic flow through the township and improve road safety by providing a more efficient alternative route that is better suited to heavy vehicles.

"The project will support Scenic Rim Regional Council's planned revitalisation of the Beaudesert town centre, and allow businesses to make better use of their outdoor areas to attract visitors and beautify their town for locals and visitors."

Ms Trad said the project would be jointly funded with Council, and the Queensland Government would invest up to $26 million into the project.

"The Beaudesert Bypass will provide a raft of immediate and long-term economic and employment benefits by creating jobs, attracting investment, and stimulating development in the region," Ms Trad said.

"The bypass is critical to the ongoing development of the Bromelton State Development Area, which is a 15,000-hectare site located six kilometres west of the town that has the potential to create up to 18,000 jobs.

"Approximately 85 jobs will be created during construction, which is due to start next year and be completed in 2017."

Scenic Rim Regional Council Mayor John Brent welcomed today's announcement.

"The bypass is not only a vital piece of infrastructure but it will help drive this region's economic growth and prosperity for decades to come by supporting employment, business opportunities and development," Cr Brent said.

"The importance of this project to not only Beaudesert and the Scenic Rim, but also to Queensland's economy as a catalyst for the Bromelton State Development Area, cannot be understated.

"I commend the Deputy Premier and State Government for their show of support for the Scenic Rim in driving ahead with this critical infrastructure project."

The first stage of the Beaudesert Town Centre Bypass will start at the Mount Lindesay Highway, near the saw mill, and run west of the town centre, joining Beaudesert-Boonah Road.

The project will be delivered under the Queensland Government's Priority Development Infrastructure program.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Four tenders shortlisted for $650m Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade

[pandmaster]

It is not just bus network planning that BCC needs to be rained in on, it is transport in general.

[colinw]

Question - does the KSD upgrade destroy the possibility of a rail connection into Hamilton Northshore?  i.e. does it sever the coldstores / wharf branch corridor?

Obviously any single station extension from Doomben to Hamilton Northshore would need to be grade separated, a level crossing over KSD carrying frequent suburban trains wouldn't be an option.

BUT, does the KSD ugrade design preserve the opportunity to do this?

[pandmaster]

This is a golden opportunity to dig the tunnels under the road as part of the upgrade. Trad should chip in a couple of million for that. It is a planning travesty that the Doomben line was not extended as part of the housing development at Hamilton.

[colinw]

It is a planning travestystandard Queensland practice that the Doomben line was not extended as part of the housing development at Hamilton.

Applied the QUEENSLANDER!!! correction to your post above. 

"Welcome to Queensland.  Please check your brain in at the border, and abandon all capacity for critical thought".

"Why?!!!"

"Because we've always done things that way up here."